Since power is an intangible term, it is rather hard to define in a formal way. However, power is a widely experienced social phenomenon and its implications and sources in a wide social context are intuitively known by almost everyone. Power is commonly known as the ability to effect or change the behavior of others. According to the great German Political Economist and Sociologist Max Weber, "power is the probability that one actor within a social relationship will be in a position to carry out his own will despite resistance".

It must be understood that power is not an act of changing behaviors and attitudes of others but only a potential for such a change. This potential varies with the amount of dependency. The more dependent an individual or group is on another individual or group, the greater is the potential of exercise of power on the dependent individual or group.

Young people have no respect for authority nowaday...

Adolf Eichmann Younger 1916 Source 参照書籍; A...

Power Tools as a Pastime

Power is such a widespread phenomenon because of the economical reality of scarcity of resources. Any individual or group that can potentially be a source of value for another individual or group possesses power. It is also worth mentioning that power may well be a matter of perception than reality i.e. an individual or group may feign to posses value or source/sources of value and hence end up claiming power.

The term 'authority' is often used for Power, which isn't correct because authority is only the legitimate use of power. Power, however is not always used legitimately. Another term that is used synonymous to power is 'influence'. Although the function of both, power and influence are the same, power is perceived to perform this function more regularly and easily. Another difference is that power rests on certain foundations whereas influence relies on particular tactics. Thus the exercise of influence...

... power is distributed unequally'. China has a high power distance index (PDI) comparing to other countries; it shows the strong obedience of the subordinates to the superiors. There is also a high level of inequality of power and wealth within the society. This behavior ...

... and Bond 1988). These are individualism/collectivism, power distance, uncertainty avoidance, and masculinity/feminine. These are extensively covered in the Hofstede theory. The global leadership and organizational research program (hereafter referred ...